The URTVO
by AyraniaNikko
Summary: Dr. Yuriev created the URTVO, Nikko, to observe and assist the URTV variants.  Now, 14 years after the Miltian conflict, she is reunited with Nigredo and Rubedo... and the crazed Albedo.  How does she help someone so twisted, violent... and obsessive?
1. The URTVO

**AN:** Hello everybody! This is my first piece of fan-fiction, so thanks for reading! Any and all comments will be greatly appreciated.

**Rated M:** violence, sexual themes, overall craziness from the luverly Albedo, and Jr's potty-mouth.

I hope to update every Saturday or so. If I miss a date, I plan to get on it as quickly as possible. Should I not update for two weeks or so, you are free to send me hate male and the like so as to get my ass into gear. Also, when I do update, those chapters are bound to be MUCH longer than this little introduction here.

Have fun!

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**The URTV-O**

Prologue: The URTV-O

"Rubedo! _Rubedo!"_

A girl, possibly in her early teens or younger, was screaming apparently to no one as she sat alone in a laboratory room. Computer monitors flickered nearby, their speakers silent, though images of war and bloodshed were clear. They contrasted greatly with the sterile white of the room, but matched perfectly with the blue-haired girl's anguish.

"Rubedo!" she sobbed. She knew that Dr. Yuriev wanted her to stay logical and calm during times like these, but she couldn't help it. She was emotionally attached to the URTV variants, and now they were in danger. "N-number 666, can you hear me? Number 666?! _Rubedo?!"_

The girl was sitting in the corner of the room, rocking back and forth with her cries. While her hair and eyes were both an unnatural shade of aqua blue, a red screen had flicked down over her left eye from seemingly behind her eyelids; data and various numerical values flickered across the screen and she went over them quickly. An image of a boy appeared along with his name and number. Then, next came the sin figures of his unique wavelength. Instead of reading his values now, she could feel him.

"Rubedo..."

Her eyes began to pulsate a deep shade of blue, and next to the image of his wavelength came an image of her own. The pulses varied in speed and intensity, and her wavelength altered with the flashes. Thoughts and emotions that were not her own began to enter her mind, and in the background of the red screen she saw flashes of images, flashes of what he was seeing. Briefly their wavelengths synchronized and everything was clear and crisp, and her eyes suddenly flashed to the exact same shade of blue that Rubedo had in his eyes.

"Number 666, Rubedo," she breathed. "Can you hear me?"

The images on the red screen were clear. She saw everything he was seeing. Then, she felt his shock at hearing her voice in his head, and he responded through thoughts.

"Nikko?" came his voice in her head, loud and clear. She read the data again on the red screen and saw that their wavelengths were matching perfectly.

The girl, Nikko, smiled and wiped tears out of her eyes. "Thank God you've responded!"

"Why aren't you connected with Albedo?"

Through the red screen she saw how Rubedo looked at his white-haired brother, who stood beside him. The other URTV looked terrified.

"Albedo pushed me out of his mind," she explained. "You know how he is. He wants to be only with you, not me. Rubedo, be careful. He's always been a little unstable but this time, things are getting extreme. I don't think he's ready for this. You're going to have to calm him down before you begin."

She felt his understanding, but there was also something else. It was hesitation.

"Yes, but Nikko... I don't think I can do this either."

Nikko blinked. "What? Rubedo, you're already connected with the other URTVs. U-DO is right there! You can eliminate it now!"

"No... I can't."

Anger and fear rose within him, and suddenly he swore.

"Damn!"

Nikko bit her lip. "Dr. Yuriev feared this would happen. Listen to me Rubedo. You must continue no matter -- "

The sudden fit of anger was overwhelming. "Dr. Yuriev thought this would happen?! He knew I would hesitate? That bastard knew! Dammit, that bastard knew!"

"Knew what? Rubedo, what is going on?"

"If we eliminate U-DO, the energy has to go somewhere. It will convert to heat energy and there will be enough to destroy this whole damn planet! That bastard knew it all along!"

She looked at his stats. "Rubedo, calm down. Your blood pressure and anxiety are skyrocketing. If you don't stay calm -- "

"I'm ending the connection!"

She saw everything through his eyes. He spoke to the other URTVs and they gave him shocked looks; then he glanced at Albedo and she saw his fear mounting.

"Rubedo, listen to me! You must destroy U-DO!"

"I can't! Miltia will be destroyed!"

Something flashed nearby in his gaze. She could hear sobbing from nearby and she knew it was Albedo.

"Rubedo! Destroy U-DO or it will destroy you!"

He was ignoring her now. Instead, he was looking at his brother. "Albedo, let go of me!"

The white-haired boy was frantic. "Rubedo, don't let go! Don't let go!" Tears were leaking out of his eyes.

There was another flash in his gaze and Nikko recognized what it was before he did. "Rubedo, look out!"

Several standard URTVs were hit first with the bright flashes of U-DO. They fell away in spasms, some immediately shutting down from the immense power, and others submitting to the contamination. The Song of Nephilim played eerily in the background as they were struck.

Rubedo's wavelength altered from his heightened stress. Nikko's eyes pulsated again as she altered her own waves to meet his, but the images began to blur and his thoughts weren't clear. The tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Rubedo!"

She caught catches of noise, of screaming and of crying. There was a flash of an image and she saw Albedo... and U-DO.

"No! Albedo!"

Nikko abandoned Rubedo then. His statistics left the red screen built over her eye and instead she focused on Albedo. His name and number appeared along with his image, but when the section with his wavelength came up, there was nothing more than static. She couldn't feel his wavelength at all.

"What is this?!"

His wavelength was now completely unknown to her. Not knowing what to do, she beat her fists against the floor and began to sob.

"N-no! It's never been like this before!" she screamed. "I've always been able to connect with them! Always!"

Why oh why did Dr. Yuriev send them out like he did? She couldn't care less about the standards, but the variants (with the exception of Citrine, whom she was not assigned to) meant the world to her. They were the reason for her existence. Rubedo was an absolute riot and Nigredo was incredibly nice... and sure, Albedo was a bit unstable but he was an okay boy, she thought... but now the three of them were in a terrible situation and it hurt Nikko to see them suffer.

"I... I shouldn't have gotten so emotionally involved!" she cried. "That's what Dr. Yuriev sa-said. But... I'm the URTV-O! It was un-un-unavoidable!"

The little girl felt like a failure, and for many reasons. She had been created to observe Units 666, 667, and 669 and to monitor their emotional progress and stability. There were many lab technicians around that studied their physical progress, and much of the emotional progress as well, but it was Nikko's main job to offer a helping hand to the boys whenever it was needed. The researchers were good at their jobs, but they could never act as a friend. Nikko was always there in every sense of the word; she talked with them and played with them, held their hands and cried with them, and was mentally linked with them during training. Whenever they felt afraid she would do her best to remove that fear and give them a push in the right direction. She was a friend instead of a mere sibling or comrade, but had been created to act almost motherly in certain situations. But, now her _own _emotions were taking over, and she had failed her duties. The URTV Observer had lost control of both herself and her variants, and she didn't know what to do.

There was a hiss as the laboratory doors suddenly slid open and someone walked in. Nikko didn't look up, instead trying to find Albedo's wavelength and sync with it. She was still failing. Her sobs were growing now, and the person who walked in rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Why are you crying, my poor little Nikko?"

It was Dr. Yuriev. Nikko choked back another sob and looked up at him. She had always thought of him as cold. Yes, he did treat her well and he spoke calmly and almost lovingly to her, but she was certain it was a ruse. His eyes never matched his words.

"I... I failed!" she burst out. "I w-was connected with Unit 666, but..."

"Yes, go on," he said softly. She didn't like his eyes at all.

"He... he grew fearful and... angry."

"Angry?"

"Sir, he hesitated. I tried to convince him to keep going but... he said that the planet would be destroyed."

"I see." He held a clipboard at his side, and he tapped the metal with his fingers. He removed his hand from her shoulder and slipped it casually into his pocket, and she noticed for the first time that there was something oddly shaped in there.

"And Albedo... he is lost to me. He came in contact with U-DO." Her cries were dying down but she was still sniffling greatly.

"And what of my other son, Nigredo?"

"I haven't ch-checked in with him yet, sir."

"Do it now."

She tried to calm her self and only half-managed it. Then, once again she was looking at figures and values on the red screen. She found his wavelength immediately and saw that it was growing unstable, and that he was very fearful and his blood pressure and other statistics were spiking, but that he was otherwise okay.

"Unit 669 is operational," she said. The tears were gone but she was shaking.

"Good, very good," Dr. Yuriev said. "But it's such a pity that those _miserable failures_ didn't succeed in eliminating U-DO, don't you think?"

Nikko's eyes widened. "Miserable... failures?" She had never heard of him talk about his sons in such a manner.

"Yes. It's as you said. Rubedo hesitated. I feared it might happen but I had hoped that you, Nikko, would have been able to steer him away from such foolishness. But, you failed."

His right hand began to move out of his laboratory coat pocket, and she saw that he held a gun. He held it casually, lightly, as if he didn't understand the importance or the power of the weapon. Then he aimed it right at Nikko's face, giving her a soft smile all the while.

"You're all failures," he said. "Worthless, miserable failures. What a pity."

Nikko trembled. "S-sir, I'm so sorry, it will never happen again!"

"Oh, how very right you are," he said, and the smile widened. "You won't ever have the opportunity."

Nikko was thinking quickly. She glimpsed Nigredo's data and his wavelength. There was no way he would be able to help her, nor could Albedo or Rubedo.

"Dr. Yuriev... please..." she begged.

His smile was sinister and for the first time Nikko saw his eyes brighten. No longer were they cold and filled with false emotion. Instead, they were glowing with power. Now he held the gun very firmly.

"Don't cry, Nikko," he said. "You are an object, nothing more. You don't have a need for something as useless as emotion. You are going to be disposed of, just like any other object. You no longer have a reason for existence."

Out of fear she tried to sync with Nigredo. All she wanted was someone to shoulder her fear. For the longest time, she had been shouldering it for everyone else. She had helped the variants and dealt with their insecurities because it was her job. Now she wanted someone to take her place. She wanted someone else to be a URTV-O for once.

Dr. Yuriev saw the pulsating glow in her eyes and only smirked. "You're such a child, Nikko."

Her blue eyes went green to match with Nigredo and she felt his presence only briefly as they synched.

"Ni--"

_BANG._

The shot went off and she never finished saying his name. Instead, all she had left him with was her fear as the world then went dark.


	2. 669

**AN:** Aw, no reviews? Not one? Not even to tell me how I'm doing or if I should continue? Aww... Well, at any rate, I'll continue for now. Keep reading if you enjoy! Ah, I can't wait until Albedo comes in... muahaha...

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**The URTV-O**

Chapter 1: 669

_God damn, more maintenance? That's gotta be the third time this week._

Nikko didn't enjoy getting out of bed. She had become lazy over the years and because of it she looked at the screen of her handheld and groaned. It wasn't even eight in the morning yet, but _someone _needed her assistance for _something_ trivial.

"Those idiots should get out of their own damn beds and do the maintenance themselves," she groaned before pulling the covers over her head. But, the handheld beeped again and the screen lit up. Her "boss" had sent her a second message. "Christ..."

The blue-haired woman finally sent a reply back before getting up. She truly hated her job, but it was the least she could do for Helmer after everything he had done for her after her life as the URTVO.

Nikko touched her forehead. All she could remember was a faceless figure holding a weapon that she sometimes had nightmares about. When that gun had gone off she hadn't even felt a damn thing, or at the very least, she couldn't remember it. She couldn't remember much of anything. As the years passed by, Yuriev became nothing more than a faceless figure in her dreams, and the variants she had cared so much for were hard to remember as well. She could remember their voices just a little -- the outgoing laugh of Rubedo, and kind but somewhat shy voice of Nigredo, and the clingy whine of Albedo -- but nothing more. She wasn't even sure if they were alive, and her period of mourning and grief after realizing she would never see them again had long since passed. She wasn't the URTV-O anymore -- she was just a mechanic.

Nikko got dressed into her usual cargo pants, loose fitting shirt, and worn work gloves. Everything was stained and carried the smell of motor oil, a smell that she despised but had become a part of her. Whenever she was called, she had no choice but to consent to repairing, modifying, or scrapping any manner of things, ranging from AGWS Units to Realians to classified Federation equipment. She wasn't paid and didn't have a choice but to go, all thanks to being classified as a Realian (despite not being one). She supposed they could just call her human, but no, that would mean she'd be an equal, and they didn't want to spend funding on a paycheck for her. Besides, with blue hair and abilities that even highly-specialized Realians didn't have, she didn't quite fit in. So, she was an object, deemed one of a kind.

_Damn them._

Only Helmer treated her well, but she hadn't spoken with him in a very long time. He was the one who, when the Federation soldiers found her abandoned and near-dead in an ejected trash cargo hold in space, said that she was to be treated instead of left to die. And, when everyone learned that she had a great deal of mechanical parts within her cranium, he said that they would be kept instead of scrapped, which meant she was able to keep her very useful scanner and eye-screen. But, try as he might, he could not classify her as human, but he at least made sure she got a job as a mechanic rather than sending her off to be studied and analyzed. In fact, only a few knew that she wasn't a unique Realian, and those that did know had been sufficiently silenced. Helmer didn't tell a soul that she was something "different", even though he himself didn't know exactly what she was. When he had first asked her, she had told him she didn't know what she was and kept telling him that ever since. It wasn't entirely a lie -- after having failed as the URTV-O and having been betrayed by Yuriev, she didn't know what else to call herself.

So, now Nikko was a mechanic, and though she didn't have a life of her own, it was better than no life at all. And as for her URTVs... she hadn't thought about them in years.

---

**::The Kukai Foundation::**

Gaignun Kukai rested his head on his hands and sighed. Helmer was such a busy man -- hell, they both were -- and sometimes it made communication difficult. So, the call he was waiting for was exactly seventeen minutes late.

_And to think, I don't even have Jr. here to entertain me,_ he thought with another sigh. _For once, his childishness would have been greeted with open arms._

So, with nothing to occupy him, he merely stared at the ceiling and hummed as he waited. Finally, he got the beep that signaled that someone was trying to connect with him, and he patched them through. It was Helmer.

"Took long enough," he said rather unprofessionally, but it didn't matter. He smiled and Helmer smiled back and chuckled.

"Sorry about that Gaignun, you know I'm a busy man, but I suppose you are, too. Time is money." He chuckled again.

"Indeed. So, how have you been?"

"Well enough I suppose. But, how are things on your side? What is Jr. up to?"

"I was just speaking with him earlier," Gaignun said as he tapped his right temple. Telepathy was incredibly useful. "They just engaged a U-TIC ship hardly a moment ago."

"Oh really?" Helmer asked, very interested.

"In fact, he rammed he Durandal right into them," Gaignun said with a roll of his eyes. "When will he learn to be more careful, I wonder...?"

"You know boys and their toys," Helmer laughed. "It's hard to believe he's well over twenty years old."

"I expect him to look like a child, but not to act like one." Though, to be honest, Gaignun didn't mind.

"Oh, give him a little slack, Gaignun. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were jealous."

"Perhaps," he mused. Then, he dropped the smaller talk. "How are things over there?"

"Hectic as always. You know the Realian girl I was telling you about earlier? The prototype, MOMO?"

"Yes?"

"We haven't received even a word yet from Ziggurat 8. Juli is starting to get worried, though she's trying not to let it show. God damn those U-TIC bas-- "

There was a sudden beep over on Helmer's end of the line. The man blinked, looked a bit annoyed, and then glanced reproachfully at Gaignun.

"I'm sorry, could you hold on just a second?"

"Of course."

Helmer pressed a button or two and then Gaignun's screen went blank. He began to hum and tap his fingers on his desk, but true to his word, Helmer took only a second. Gaignun blinked.

"That was quick. Trivial matters?"

"Yes, just a complaint," he said with a sigh. "I'm surprised it got all the way up to me, really." Then he spoke more to himself. "So silly, complaining about her..."

Gaignun was a bit interested. He couldn't help himself. "Hmm?"

"Eh, it's nothing big. It's just that some of my guys on Fifth Jerusalem are having trouble with a subordinate, Nikko. I can't understand why. She's such a sweetheart... well, as long as you don't trouble her or get on her nerves... then she can be a fireball..."

Helmer went on for a bit but many of the words were lost to Gaignun. His back had stiffened and his face went white. Nikko? Had he truly said Nikko? No, perhaps he had said Nick, or Nikki, or Nicole... and besides, what did it matter? There were surely tons of Nikko's all around the galaxy.

"... though, like I said before, she is really sweet... at least to me, anyway. Of course, then again, I'm the only one who really treats her like a human, so... so... Gaignun, are you okay?"

"Did you just say her name was Nikko?" he asked, his heart racing.

"Yes. Why?"

"W-What is her last name?"

"Why does any of this matter?"

"Just tell me!" Gaignun yelled, slamming a fist down on the table in his desperation. But, then he caught himself. "I... I'm sorry. That was rude of me... never mind. Just forget it."

But, Helmer was already typing things and looking at a separate screen that Gaignun couldn't see. He began to read a few things off.

"She doesn't have a last name listed."

Gaignun bit his lip. A Nikko without a last name? Was it possible?

"What does she look like?"

"Blue hair, blue eyes... about five-feet, six-inches..."

Blue? Gaignun was shaking now. "This is impossible! Helmer, what's her history?"

Helmer gave him an odd look. "Well, that's classified... but, for a friend..."

Gaignun held his breath.

"The Federation found her in the middle of the Miltian Conflict fourteen years ago. She had survived a bullet to the head and had been disposed of in a waste bin floating out in space. The only reason she wasn't dead was because she wasn't entirely human and was a bit sturdier, but we weren't sure what she was. She wasn't a Realian, but she had some very interesting parts built directly into her brain, including a scanner. I'm guessing she was some sort of Life Recycling victim. When she came to, I asked her what she was and how she had ended up in such a state, but she said she didn't know. I didn't want her to die and I didn't want her to be used as a guinea pig by the Federation, so I sent her to Fifth Jerusalem for work and to live a close to normal life." He looked at Gaignun strangely. "Are you okay?" he asked again.

Gaignun couldn't believe any of it. "My God... Helmer, why didn't you tell me any of this before?!"

"Don't get angry with me, Gaignun. How was I supposed to know that this would have been of importance? There are dozens, possibly hundreds, of poor souls like her that are trying to fit in. You know that as well as I do."

"Damn right I do!" he yelled. "Helmer, do you know what she is?! My God!"

His eyes widened. "You don't mean she's like you?! She's a URTV?!"

"She's close enough! I haven't seen her in years! I thought she was dead! But, this whole time, she's been safe and on Fifth Jerusalem! Fourteen years... fourteen years and I thought she was _dead!"_

Helmer was absolutely stunned. "Gaignun... if I had known, I would have told you. I'm so terribly sorry. I hadn't known..."

Gaignun tried to calm himself, and then realized he had misplaced his anger. "N-no, don't. It's okay. I should apologize. But, Helmer... I have to see her."

Helmer nodded immediately. "I'll do the paperwork right now, and send her to the Foundation. I'm so sorry..."

"Just make it as quick as possible. She's _alive... _and all this time, I didn't know..."

Now he felt sick. Pain, fear, and longing filled his heart. Pain at having believed she was dead for so long... fear at not knowing how he would ever be able to ask for her forgiveness... and the most powerful longing he had ever felt in his life. She had been a companion and a friend so many years ago, and he wanted that again in his life.

"Call me once everything's done," he said, shaking. "I have to go. I can't sit here like this..."

"Sure thing."

The screen disappeared and Gaignun sat alone in his room, finding the silence to be almost deafening as it enveloped him. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what she looked like. For so long he had pushed her out of his thoughts just like he had ignored Albedo. Now he brought back the images and found them greatly blurred. He immediately grew angry at himself. How could he have forgotten about her? And, how could he have lost hope?

_But... no. This isn't my fault._

The last thing he remembered about her was fear. It was a great fear that he would never forget, but even worse was the silence that came after. It had been quick and terrifying, but then there had been nothing. Her presence immediately died away and that was the last he ever heard of her. It was only natural that he assumed the worst. In the silence of his mind he found that she had been ripped away from him, never to return... and never before had he ever felt so lonely.

"Nikko..." he breathed, and the longing increased.

He looked down at the serial number on his palm. 669. He hated the thing, for it had always reminded him of a painful past he would love to forget. But, now he remembered Nikko, and for the first time in his life he was happy to have the number. Still he couldn't remember her face, but her voice, her wondrous voice and beautiful laugh, came back and he smiled.


	3. Sync

**AN:** Woo! Thanks for the review! It was very much appreciated. Sorry for the delay in updating... I was busy. I hope it won't happen again.

Please, if there's anything that I'm doing wrong, feel free to give some constructive criticism. Keep the reviews coming!**

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**The URTV-O**

Chapter 2: Sync

Nikko was fired. F-I-R-E-D. Fired. Well, at least according to her boss, anyway. The pudgy man had waved his arms around and screamed at her, spittle flying out of his mouth, because she didn't want to put herself in the way of danger. An AGWS Unit had been malfunctioning, and her idiot boss had wanted her to force her way into the pilot's seat and try to figure out what the problem was. Well, the power hadn't been cut off yet and sparks were flying around the various screens and controls inside the unit. Not wanting the get hurt, she refused. And, after he screamed at her and she screamed back for a few good minutes, he threw his hat at her and fired her.

Nikko was in her apartment room, laying on her bed and falling into a lethargic mode where all she did was daydream. She didn't have much to worry about, really -- the Federation fed and clothed her, so she would be fine in that department. But, she worried about disappointing Helmer. He was the only reason she had dealt with her miserable boss for so many years.

"Fucking bastard," she muttered bitterly. "Telling me to do a job that wasn't safe even for the Realians... hmph! The imbecile should have gone in there himself, but I doubt he would have been able to fit his fat ass into the seat..."

She wasn't in the best of moods, but resigned herself to the fact that what was done was done, and there was nothing left she could do. Well, aside from take a shower and get the smell of motor oil out of her hair. However, as soon as she found the energy to get up off the bed, her handheld began to beep for the third time that day. Her mood didn't improve.

"I swear to God..." she muttered, then saw it was a direct connection rather than a mere text. She never got those. Somewhat curious, she opened the link and found herself face to face with Helmer as the screen opened up.

"Hello, Nikko," he said with a smile.

Nikko nearly dropped the device. "Helmer! It's been so long! How are you?"

"I'm fine," he said. "And you?"

"Perfect!" she lied.

He chuckled. "I got a complaint about you today."

Nikko's face fell. "Oh... so that's why you called."

Helmer blinked. "What? Oh, no! Don't be silly!"

"Helmer, I'm so sorry!" she began. "You've been so kind to me all these years... and here I go and blow it! But I couldn't help it... that guy was such an _ass!_"

He only chuckled at her. "Nikko, it's all right. In fact, I've got good news for you."

She was very much shocked. "Oh?"

"If you hate that man so much, you'll have the opportunity to get away from him for good. How would you like to be transferred out of Fifth Jerusalem?"

Nikko gasped. "Transferred out of the capital? To where?"

"The Kukai Foundation."

Nikko gasped again. The Kukai Foundation! She had read brochures about the place and had always wanted to go there. She heard so many good things about it, about the old fashion and nostalgia of the place, and of the beaches, and of how the Durandal would dock and turn into a skyscraper...

"Helmer, I love you!" she exclaimed. "This is the best day of my life! When can I transfer?!"

He laughed. "As quickly as possible would be best."

Nikko began running around her room, throwing clothing onto her bed. She would need to buy a suitcase, but aside from that she was good. "I can leave today! Hell, give me twenty minutes and I'll be ready!"

"Whoa, slow down!" he said, and laughed even more. "I need to file the paperwork first and talk with a few people."

"Well, can I leave now anyway?"

"No, no, I'm afraid not."

She continued to smile and run around her room, but then suddenly paused. "Hey, wait... why am I going to the Kukai Foundation anyway?"

"You're to meet a very special friend of mine."

"Oh?"

"Gaignun Kukai."

For the third time, Nikko gasped. She had heard a little bit about Gaignun Kukai and his work, though didn't know many details except that he was a well-loved and very important person. Nikko hadn't met anyone important in her life save for Helmer.

"_The _Gaignun Kukai?" she asked, awed.

"The one and only."

"Why do I have to meet him? And, should I wear something a bit more formal?" she asked, looking down at her oil-stained mechanic's clothing.

He paused as if thinking, then spoke. "There are some important repairs that need to be made on the Kukai Foundation, and he asked me to send one of my best to help him. I chose you. And, no, you don't need to change a thing. I get the feeling he won't mind what you wear." He smiled warmly.

Now Nikko was nervous. She bit her lip and thought things over. "I'm... your best? That's so flattering, Helmer. But, wow, this is a lot of pressure. Repairs to the Kukai Foundation? I'm a little worried."

"Don't be worried," he said reassuringly. "If I didn't think you had it in you, I wouldn't have suggested you do it. I'm confident in your abilities."

Nikko still bit her lip. "Okay... and are you sure I'll be okay just wearing _this?_ I mean, he is the head of the Kukai Foundation..."

He laughed. "You're a mechanic! What else would you wear?"

"But if I'm meeting someone so important..."

"Trust me, once he sees you, it won't matter."

Nikko blinked. "What's that supposed to mean?" She blushed.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, nothing. Say, um, I have to go. You know, have to fill out the paperwork and whatnot..."

He ended the connection before she could get a word in. So, with nothing better to do than bite her nails and worry, she finally decided upon taking a shower and getting ready. Even if she had to do some important repairs, and meet someone important, it was still much better than anything she had ever hoped for.

---

"You didn't tell her why she was coming?"

"Isn't that _your _job, Gaignun?"

Once again, Helmer and Gaignun were talking about Nikko. Gaignun's stomach felt like it was doing flips. He looked at Helmer and couldn't believe his own nervousness.

"Don't look at me like that, Gaignun. What did you want me to do, give her a heart attack? 'Oh, Nikko, I forgot to mention... Nigredo is alive!' That would have been brilliant, don't you think?"

"It's much better than making up some lie about repairing the Foundation!" he exclaimed. "What am I going to do now? Wait until she sees me for the first time and then catch her as she falls?!"

"Call her!"

"What? I don't even have the number to her handheld!"

Helmer smiled. "Oh? Is that the only obstacle? Hold on, I'll get it for you right now."

Gaignun's face went red. "What? No, I couldn't!"

"What's the problem? She's a URTV, right? She's your sister! It shouldn't be too hard! Aren't you excited to see her again?"

"She is _not _my sister," he immediately clarified, and for some reason felt angry that Helmer had presumed as much. "And, she's not a URTV either. She's a URTV-O."

"What's one letter to me? But, like I asked... aren't you excited to see her?"

"Yes! But... I'm also terrified! I don't even know what she looks like!"

"I could fix that."

Before Gaignun could catch his breath, an image popped up on the screen. He froze immediately, his body failing him and his mind going blank with shock. His eyes caught onto two bright, beautiful, aqua blue irises that filled him once again with a sense of longing. Those eyes hadn't changed one bit. Everything else had, for she had transformed from a young girl into a beautiful young woman. Her hair was still blue as well and was cut to a little bit past her shoulders, making her look younger than her true age and very lively. For many long moments Gaignun stared at the image, soaking up the details until it was all he saw when he closed his eyes.

"I didn't know how to imagine her after all these years," he breathed. "I didn't know how she had grown. So, it is odd for me to see... and yet, it is as if I had expected to see exactly this all along."

Helmer gave a sympathetic nod. "Now will you contact her?"

At first Gaignun didn't hear him. He was too busy staring at those blue eyes that still seemed so very young. "Contact her? I... I don't know."

"Then what do you plan on doing?"

"_Not _giving her a heart attack."

"You know, I could connect you two right now."

"No! What would I say? It's been so many years!"

"Well, she's going to find out eventually. It's all up to you as to how."

Gaignun thought about it. He was so terribly nervous. "Helmer..."

The other man groaned. "Let me guess... you want me to tell her, right?"

"I don't know, but you can help me somehow..."

"I'll see what I can do."

---

Nikko was searching through her closet for something somewhat formal when her handheld beeped yet again. As she opened the line she held a long, black skirt up to her body. "What do you think, Helmer?"

"Too formal. Go with overalls."

"Oh, shut up," she said before tossing it onto her bed before realizing she had no shoes to go with it. "So, have you figured out when I'm leaving?"

"No, not yet. I need to get a few things out of the way first."

"Like what?"

Helmer gave her a somewhat piercing and serious look. "Nikko... I know I've asked you this several times but... do you know _anything_ about who you are and what happened to you during the Miltian Conflict?"

Nikko froze. The last time Helmer asked her such a question had been over ten years ago, and then he had dropped it ever since. "Helmer, why are you asking this again?"

"It's of importance."

"What does this have to do with my transfer?"

Helmer didn't answer, but he didn't look away either. Instead he continued to give his serious, searching look. "You've never told me anything, and I'm sure you had your reasons. But, now's the time to let it out, Nikko."

Nikko had spent such a long time lying to both herself and to him that she saw no reason to stop now. "Helmer, I don't know and I really don't _want _to know, okay?"

"Nikko, do you know what a URTV is?"

She dropped the handheld. It did not break on the carpeting, but she had wished for it to. She covered her mouth with her hands, not touching the device.

"Nikko! Nikko!" Helmer cried, his voice sounding distant.

Shaking, she kneeled down to pick it up, but found that she couldn't reach out and touch it.

Helmer glared at her from the screen. "So you _do _know. And if you know that, you must know things about who _you_ are as well, correct?"

"Helmer, please, I don't want to talk about this," she said.

"It's very important. If you don't hear what I have to say -- "

"I've put the past behind me, Helmer," she said, finally getting the courage to pick up the device. "Please, don't bring it up."

"You'll be sorry -- "

"Why in hell would I be sorry?! I though I had a good life until that damned Conflict! Then I lost everything! I lost my sense of self, I lost my purpose, I lost my friends..."

"You didn't lose everything, Nikko."

Nikko's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"You might want to sit down before I tell you this, Nikko."

She sat down right on the floor. "Tell me."

"Remember how I said that I wanted you to meet Gaignun Kukai?"

"Yes, but what does he have to do with this?" Then she gasped. "Wait, he did a lot of stuff with Life Recycling victims, didn't he? Yes, that's why he's so popular! And... wait... maybe... has he taken in URTVs?!"

Her mind immediately pictured Rubedo, Nigredo, and Albedo. For the first time in a long time she smiled as she thought about them. But, then the smile faded just as quickly. Surely they were dead.

_No, he must be talking about the standard URTVs, those mindless drones... but I thought they had succumbed to the Song and U-DO.  
_"Well, not exactly," Helmer answered. "It's a bit more complicated than that."

"Helmer, just tell me already."

"Nikko... I need to know. What _are _you?"

She bit her lip and touched her forehead absent-mindedly. All she could think of was Yuriev, faceless and blurred, pointing the gun at her face.

"What does it matter? Honestly?"

"You're a... oh what is it... a URTV-O? Is that it?"

Her heart nearly stopped. "How did you get that information?!"

"So it's true then? By God, it truly is you, there's no doubt about it now. Nikko, if only you had told me this years ago!"

"Helmer, what is going on?!"

"I witnessed some things back in my day, Nikko. I was at the Yuriev Institute when everyone was working so hard to cure Sakura Mizrahi. I know all about the URTVs. But, oddly enough, you were never on record..."

"You... you were there during the work we did on Sakura?" She glanced away. "It makes sense that I didn't know this before. Yuriev never let me see anyone from outside the institution. He said that my work involved helping the URTVs stabilize, nothing more. Even though I was linked with Rubedo during many of the Sakura dives, I never once saw Sakura for my own eyes, or her mother. They didn't even know I existed, probably."

Nikko paused. She wasn't quite sure why she was telling all of this so easily to Helmer. But, there was a certain amount of trust that she had and she knew, deep down, that he would never spill any of these secrets. Oh, why hadn't she told him before?!

"Either there never were any files on me for whatever reason, or Yuriev deleted them after the Conflict," she said. But then she gave a sad, soft smile. "But, this is all beyond you, isn't it? What does any of it matter? Me babbling on about Rubedo and Sakura and Yuriev... it's all in the past. I doubt you even know who Rubedo is."

_After all... he's dead._

He shook his head. "No, I know exactly who Rubedo is."

"So you must have just read some files on him, then."

He didn't speak, looking at her as if something large were at stake.

"Helmer?"

"Nikko... some of your old comrades are still alive."

Years and years of sadness and pain, of grief and of mourning, suddenly rose to the surface. "Wh-what?!"

"Three of them are still alive that I know of," he said.

Nikko shook her head. "That's... that's impossible. I... no, that... what?!"

Had all those years of pain been for nothing? Nikko didn't know what to feel.

"Who?! Tell me who!" she yelled.

Helmer began to type things on his end. "Two of them I speak with regularly. You obviously know the first one... Unit 666, Rubedo."

A picture popped up on the screen. Nikko stared in shock at a red-haired boy, grinning from ear to ear, as he tapped a gun holster at his hip. He hadn't aged a day, just like Yuriev and his scientists had predicted many years ago.

"Ru-Rubedo..." she stuttered. The disbelief was evident on her face and in her tone.

"Another one you know," Helmer said, "is Unit 669, Nigredo."

Nikko held back tears as another image popped up onto the screen. There was a tall, handsome looking man with jet-black hair and striking green eyes standing in the center of the image, and on either side of him stood two women, one with long, purple hair and another with shorter blond hues. She ignored the women and instead focused on the suit wearing male. He was giving a casual smile and didn't seem camera shy or overly excited like some did when their images were captured. However, she also noticed that he had a striking resemblance to Yuriev; still, his eyes held a warmth that the Dr.'s never had.

"My God," she breathed.

"The last is Unit 667, Albedo... but I'm afraid that things are a bit, um, _hectic _concerning him."

This time, no image popped up. However, she imagined Nigredo but with white hair instead of black and amethyst eyes instead of green. There would be no charming smile, instead only a nervous glance. Yes, that would be the Albedo she knew.

"All this time they've been _alive?_" she whispered.

"Yes, and they've been doing quite well... at least Rubedo and Nigredo have, anyway. They've made new lives for themselves just like you have."

Nikko ignored the second half of his statement. "Wait, what about Albedo? Is there something wrong?"

He glanced away from the screen. "Albedo isn't with us."

She was very confused. "What? No, that doesn't make sense. He always goes wherever Rubedo goes. What happened?"

"It's a long story, one that I'm sure Gai-- I mean, Nigredo, will tell you when you meet him. That's the real reason why you're heading to the Kukai Foundation."

"Nigredo is at the Kukai Foundation?!"

Helmer smiled now. "Nikko... do you remember how I said that I wanted you to meet Gaignun Kukai?"

There was something about his smile and the glow in his eyes that Nikko didn't like.

---

When Helmer told Gaignun of his discussion with Nikko, he thought about it long and hard for two days. Apparently Nikko nearly had an emotional meltdown when she learned that her little Nigredo had grown into the well-known Gaignun Kukai, and that Rubedo was posing as his son. For obvious reasons, she found the situation too crazy to believe. It had taken Helmer quite a long time to convince her of everything, and even then, apparently Nikko had had a dazed look from the shock of it all.

Afterwards, Helmer continued to play an intermediary between them and scheduled for Nikko to arrive at the Kukai Foundation when the Durandal returned. It would be several days at least. And, Helmer also delivered a message with a smile on his face.

"Nikko says 'hello,'" he said at one point. "Do you have a response, Gaignun?"

Gaignun found himself so shocked by the thought of communication that he didn't. Out of good manners, Helmer went ahead and sent what would have been an appropriate reply had the URTV spoken. Then, a little while after, he suggested something alarming.

"Now that she knows you're alive, you should just give her a call."

Gaignun couldn't do it. For two days he thought about her and any sort of possible communications, but he couldn't actually talk with her. He sat at his desk and fought the nervous tension in his stomach, and several times he considered asking Jr. about what he would do, but then he realized that Jr. didn't even know about the situation yet with Nikko. To explain it would be stressful, and that was the last thing that Gaignun wanted.

On the second day, Gaignun pulled up the picture of Nikko and stared at it for a long time. He didn't know how he couldn't possibly just _talk _to her. But, it was so simple...

Without knowing it, Gaignun's typed in her UMN access code, but then stopped at the call send button. His finger hovered lamely over it.

All he had to do was press the button. Just one small button and the screen would appear. But, there was something about it that made him stop. It was hard to not see someone for so many years, and the suddenly have them appear. He and Nikko had lived separate lives, and neither of them were children anymore. So many things had changed.

_What should I expect from her? And what should she expect from me?_

The light continued to flash in the darkness. Everything was so quiet. His finger hovered over the button but he couldn't move.

_I'm not Nigredo anymore. I'm Gaignun Kukai. And, she is not the URTV-O anymore. She is just a mechanic. We went down different paths..._

But, the more he thought about it, he realized that the only reason they did go down such different paths was because of his father, and because of the Conflict. The thought enraged him.

_This is not our fault._

Suddenly, he pressed the button.

After a second a screen popped up. Only then did Gaignun realize what he had done. It was too late for him to stop the process. So, instead he stared at the screen, looking into a brightly-lit apartment room, and at the blue-haired female that was too busy straightening out clothing and various possessions to pay much attention.

_Nikko...!_

"Hold on, Helmer," she said, now completely turning her back to the screen. "Has the Durandal arrived yet? I'm so sorry I didn't finish packing sooner, but I was in such a state of shock..."

"Nikko."

Her name escaped his lips before he could stop himself. Nikko paused.

"Huh? You're not Helmer..." she muttered before slowly turning towards the screen.

Everything seemed to freeze when their eyes connected. Both of them gasped as blue eyes met green. For several seconds they looked at each other, both taking in the details, before Nikko spoke.

"It's... it's... _Nigredo?!"_

Finally, joy and shock came over Gaignun. He let out a laugh and leaned closer to the screen.

"Nikko!"

Her shocked expression transformed into one of pure happiness. Tears started streaming down her cheeks and Gaignun felt some well up in his own eyes. He hid them despite the emotions that began to wash over him and take control.

"Nikko! I missed you so much! This is a miracle!" he exclaimed.

She nodded excitedly. "My little Nigredo's all grown up into the famous Gaignun Kukai! Just look at you! You look so adorable in that suit, Nigredo!"

He laughed. "And look at you! You're in... mechanic's clothing...?" He decided that it wasn't too good of a compliment a little too late. "Um, forgive me, I meant to say -- "

Nikko just laughed. "Haha! That's my Nigredo! You always need to be proper and correct, don't you? What have I told you about that?"

"You told me that I needed to loosen up and be a bit more like Rubedo," he said with a smile.

The two both laughed and the memories suddenly rushed back. He felt like a child again.

Nikko's smile suddenly softened. "Nigredo... we both missed so many years. It's so alarming to see you grown-up. I keep imagining you as a boy."

"I understand. It's as if everything froze that day fourteen years ago."

He looked at her. She wasn't a girl anymore. She was an adult, nearly the same age he was, and was thus a whole new person to him. But...

"We can make up for lost time," he said. "We did miss many years, but we found each other. It's... It's... Nikko, are you okay?"

He saw that her tears of joy had suddenly transformed into tears of sadness. She bit her lip and looked away, then rubbed her face on her sleeve.

"Nikko?"

"I lost all of you," she whispered. "I was created to watch over the three of you, but I _lost _you..."

"Nikko, it's not -- "

"He was right! Dr. Yuriev was right! I am a failure!"

Gaignun got even closer to the screen. "That's not true, and you know it. And what does it matter? You're not the URTV-O anymore. That's not you."

"But I still lost you, Nigredo! I lost all of you for fourteen years! So what if that's not me anymore?! Fourteen years are gone!"

"Nikko..."

Suddenly, the crying stopped. There was a flicker of red and Gaignun saw a familiar screen go down over Nikko's left eye, coming seemingly from nowhere.

"I... I can't believe this thing still even works," she said with a hiccup. "I hadn't even meant to pull it down like that, but I must have been so emotional..."

They just stared at each other, and Gaignun concentrated on that red screen.

"Are you..." he began.

"Yes."

She inhaled as if frightened, but then composed herself. A moment later her unnatural blue eyes began to glow.

Gaignun closed his eyes. It had been so long since having connected with her that he no longer remembered what she felt like. All he could think of was Jr. and his wavelength. So, instead of reaching out, he merely waited for her presence to come to him.

It took a long time. Nikko was struggling. Occasionally the glow would fade away and the screen would flip back away from her iris and back to it's place within her, and she would have to pause and figure out how to bring it back again. Gaignun could do nothing but patiently wait and tell her to calm down. He smiled warmly at her and she returned the gesture.

He sat in his chair, eyes still closed, patiently waiting for anything to come, when he suddenly felt it. Something brushed against the edge of his mind, and his eyes snapped open. He glanced at the screen to see that Nikko's eyes had briefly flashed a shade of green.

"That's it, you're almost there," he breathed. Quite suddenly now he felt an eagerness within him.

Many more times her thoughts brushed against his own. Each time Gaignun found himself hiding a gasp. The feelings were odd, almost foreign, to him. She felt nothing like Jr. Jr.'s presence was warm and inviting, and sometimes a little too exuberant and even wild. But Nikko's was calm, collected, yet also enticing. There was a vast depth of emotion hidden within her and he felt it every time she brushed against him. There was something forbidden about linking with her now that they were adults. The experience was exhilarating. He couldn't quite explain it but... she felt so _good._ So right. Of course, she was the URTV-O. Things were supposed to feel that way.

Her conciousness was so near him now that he was beginning to hear her scrambled thoughts. They echoed and were in pieces, but they were there none the less. He looked at the screen and saw that her eyes had darkened and matched his own, but there was still something missing.

"You've... changed," she said. "Your wavelength is so different, Nigredo. You truly have grown."

She closed her eyes and that was when he felt the all encompassing feel of her as their minds began to mingle and mesh. Gaignun gripped the arms of his chair at the feel of it. He felt every one of her emotions -- all of her anxiety, her awe, her happiness -- as if they were her own. Unknowingly she continued to send her scattered thoughts to him, and for a while there was no boundary and he could see everything until she finally made a clear line between the two of them. She was there in his head and he was in hers, but they remained separate now.

_It's been a long time, Nikko,_ he thought with a smile. He shook off the odd feelings he felt before and allowed his body to relax. Casually he released the arms of his chair and turned off the screen he had been viewing her in. His room went dark.

"I missed you, Nigredo," she sent to him, and her emotions were almost overwhelming. "So many years have passed..."

_None of that matters now,_ he said. He found being alone with her in the darkness very comforting. _You're back._

_"_Yes, but... I'm not the URTV-O anymore. I'm just... Nikko. A mechanic. Maybe those years do matter --"

_Enough with that, _he said. _You are you. You have always been you. We are not Yuriev's puppets anymore, and we can live our own lives. Don't regret the missing time; just focus on the future._

She didn't need to send any coherent thoughts now. Instead, it was all raw emotion. The two sat up all night send nothing more than feelings to each other until they both found a common ground in contented bliss. And, when they both went to sleep, they remained linked even then.


End file.
